Category Archives: Forever Learning

I love to organize and I want to make it easier for you to feel, stay and be organized.

Let’s talk a little bit about why you may feel disorganized. So many people tell me that they feel like they can’t get started and they’re overwhelmed thinking of everything that needs to be done. I can understand. I’ve let a few things slide and getting them back to a functional level has taken more time, energy and mental focus that I believed it would need. But there’s hope!

Simple tips when you’re trying to organize anything:

Plan your project at a time during the day when you can be the most alert.

Only think about what you need to accomplish for a small space or task.

Find a quiet place to begin your thinking process – if you don’t have a quiet place, ask for help. My husband will watch our kids or I’ll plan my time before everyone is awake.

Recently, my kids went to an event where they both received a participation trophy. And they were both ecstatic. I have to admit, so was I. Why? We’d been trying for weeks – months – to get our kids to go to this activity, to actively participate, and to have a good (or at least a quiet) attitude. And after our endless encouragement and coaxing, it (finally) seemed to be working.

I’ve heard others criticize participation trophies with phrases like, “We reward mediocrity these days!” or “If these kids get a trophy just for participating, then how will they learn anything?” and I have finally figured out where I stand.

I love participation trophies. Love them.

If I had the choice, I’d hand out participation trophies like Oprah hands out prizes: “You get a participation trophy! And you get a trophy! And you get a trophy!”

Because you know what I’d love to have as an adult? More people who were excited to participate and more people who realize the value of active participation.

Last night I went to a late dinner with a group of college students as part of my volunteer work weekend. As we were sitting down at the sports restaurant, one of the female students leaned over and whispered, “Well that’s uncomfortable.”

I asked her to tell me more about her statement and it turns out that a guy (not part of our group) said some rude and inappropriate comments to his buddy about the student.

At that moment, I had a decision to make. I asked our group to stand up, got our severs attention and told her we needed to switch tables and move into another area of the restaurant – far away from our current table.

Some days I feel like I have it all together. And some days – as a working mom – I feel like I’m a failure as an employee, as a mom and as a person.

I debated for a while whether to post today – I let a few things really get to me, and because of that, it was not one of my best days – but I think it’s important to be honest, so here I am.

I had a sick kid today and a full day of work that I needed to get done and limited time off to spare. My solution was to take my sick kid into work – not the best for the kid, my co-workers or myself. But when you’re trying to make it all work, sometimes you come up with crazy solutions (that maybe don’t always make sense!). The end result ended up being fine and I was able to best help my kid and get my daily work done, but it wouldn’t have happened if I’d been left up to my own solution (which, let me repeat, was not a good solution).

You can’t do it all by yourself. Believe me, I’ve tried again and again. And I’ve failed again and again. I can do a lot of things. I’m proud of my successes and confident in my ability. And I know that as I continue to learn, I continue to grow. Here’s the important lessons I was reminded of today:

Remember, you have others to help you. Let them be kind.

I never ask for help. I hate asking for help. I want to be able to do all things and do all things perfectly. And I know that isn’t realistically possible for any human to accomplish – much less to try to maintain on a regular basis. But I still want those things, badly. So when I need help – really need it – I have to mentally psych myself up to ask someone to help me.

And guess what, when I ask others for help it’s usually no big deal to that person and I’m better off for having involved them, letting them help me, and building a new part of our relationship. Ask for help when you need it. Ask for help more often.

And if you’re having a hard time asking for help (like me), accept the help when it is freely given to you. In an important conversation today, I was offered help. And even with the 1000 things running through my mind – my response was, “Thank you for helping me, I appreciate it.”

Figure out what works for your energy or emotional release. And do that thing.

When I’m starting to feel my stress build to the point that I’m not sure I can take it, I try to find something to help exhaust me. Now, I’m not talking about mental exhaustion – I’m usually already there by this point! I’ve found what helps me calm down is something that can take my mind off of my stress, release all of the extra (stress) energy that I’m internalizing, and something that is good for me. I usually will exercise – and it seems to work. Today, I went to the gym after work and focused on the workout. About 15 minutes in, I decided to add some extra weights during my weightlifting class and by the end of the routine – I was exhausted and REFRESHED – because I was thinking about the exercise and not my stress.

Keeping the stress with you is only going to do damage to you. Get it out in a healthy way that actually eliminates the exhaustion – it could be talking to someone, it could be running, it could be getting enough sleep. Find what works for you and make it a priority to make it happen.

Tackle things in small pieces. Remember small progress is still progress.

I often wake up in the middle of the night when I’m stressed and think about all of the problems of the world. I need to fix everything and I’m too sleepy and disoriented for anything to make sense, so I spin my wheels and make no progress. I’ve started forcing myself to write down the real things that I’ve developed and send them to myself in email. Then I do something else until I can go back to sleep (so I don’t think about everything that has ever existed in the world that I need to fix).

When I wake up and I’m thinking clearly, I look at my email and am able to write down my “real” tasks so I can make progress today. Then I focus only on what I can accomplish today or what I planning I need to accomplish so I can make tiny progress tomorrow. When I think about the here-and-now, I realize that I’m making progress and it’s making a big difference over time.

There are many times where I have to tell my kids “No” because of something related to work or not take a work-related opportunity because of what it means for my kids. I realize it’s the balance that will always exist in my life and I’m comfortable with my decisions and my progress. I know they’ll be good days, challenging days and important days in the future. I’m working to make sure that my days are purposeful and that I make a difference with what I can do.

I’ve learned is purposeful positive thinking makes an enormous difference in my life, and I think it will benefit you as well. When I’m feeling like a failure as a working mom, I remind myself of the power of purposeful positive thinking, because it works. Instead of thinking, “I can’t do it all,” I remember, “I’m doing the best I can and my best is enough.” Switching my thinking is a valuable reminder that gives me strength in challenging situations and makes me continue to do the best I can – to be the best mom, the best employee and the best person.

I think that’s all I can ever really hope for. And I’m happy with that. Because my best is enough.

A friend of mine shared thoughts recently that to build courage in others, we should be more focused on encouragement. It was the right message at the right time for me. Instead of New Year’s Resolutions, I theme my years (and I’ve been doing it since 2003), and focus on improving my life in a key area for the whole year.

I’d been struggling with what to have as my focus for 2018, too much on my mind and the thoughts running through my head, “Does anyone really need my help? What do I have to offer?”

And then I’m reminded that each of us has unique talents and gifts. My strengths include organization and communication – and I love sharing what I’ve learned with you. I know it’s helpful to be reminded what you do well and get tips for making improvements.

Lately, I’ve been focusing on what I want most. It seems a little selfish at first blush, but it’s not. This thought method helps align my focus with my values and makes me realize when I have a decision to make – I can think about what I want or what I want most. I can’t always have both options, so I have to make decisions based on what is most important to me. It’s added incredible clarity and made me step out of my comfort zone even more.

I encourage you to stop and think about what you want most and let that guide you as you move forward. Here is the organized strategy that has worked for me:

As a parent, I’ve been secretly dreading having “the big conversation” with my kids. I know they’re necessary, but what a load of responsibility! This big conversation would have to be perfect! And then I heard something a few weeks ago that changed my entire perspective.

It’s not one conversation, but many, that will really make the difference. And I realized I’d already been doing this all along. I encourage you to consider these organized strategies that have worked for me:

About Andrea B.

Hello! Glad you've found this site.
I want to help you with solutions that make your life easier, calmer and better through (doable!) innovative organization strategies and realistic healthy living. I look forward to sharing my adventures with you. I also work in marketing, fundraising strategy, event facilitation and volunteer management. I love running, lifting weights, clean eating and healthy living.